I’ve spent a week trying to figure out what the true heart and soul of why our recent pint night was such a satisfying event to host.
When we decided to go forward with the event, we had only 3 weeks to find sponsors, get pint glasses, find a charity to benefit, bands to play, and of course, time to let the community know the event was going on.
In looking back, I think that the extremely short time frame was the key to the success of the event. Since we could not possibly do everything ourselves, we opened ourselves up to the community to help us put the event together.
Pint Night By The Numbers:
Attendees: 230
LA31 Beers Enjoyed: 288
Money Raised: Over $2,000
Children Helped: Over 200
Claude Martin - Director Acadiana Cares
Part of the community of Pack & Paddle are all the great vendors that we represent here in Lafayette. Smartwool stepped in BIG TIME in agreeing to pay for the pint glasses and to donate 200 pairs of socks to the event.
Miss Emily and the Collard Greens
Claude at Acadiana Cares jumped in within seconds of me asking if they were interested in participating. Jared, Barry and the staff at Acadiana Cares did a great job of helping us promote the event to the community. We were happy to find such a great cause to support.
Freetown Fries Crew
When I called Dorsey at Bayou Teche Brewing and described the event, he said “We’re in” without hesitation. Having the support of Bayou Teche Brewing and LA 31 Beer was huge not only in terms of raising funds, but also in terms of the whole “local” feel of the event. The beer was evidently greatly enjoyed by the crowd. Every beer was gone by the end of the evening!
LA31 in a Kayak!
Obviously we owe Bayou Teche Brewing and Dorsey a huge thanks for helping to make this evening complete.
Rachel Adams, our trip and event coordinator here at Pack & Paddle talked to friends and put the word out that we were looking for 2 local bands to help. Before we knew it, Emily Neustrom signed on to bring her band “Miss Emily and the Collard Greens”. Emily posted on Facebook that we were still looking for another band, and Adam Cohen from Delta Papa decided to bring his band to help out as well. Both of these bands
Delta Papa!
shared their talents with our community, and I would like to give a BIG thank you! to both bands. You were great!!!
We wanted to add food to the event in a creative way – so we decided that tying into the food truck phenomenon would be a good idea. Marla and her crew with Freetown Fries did a great job. The Fish n Chips were amazing along with the Poo-Yie Fries and all her other great dishes. Thank ya’ll so much for adding your energy to
Who is this Masked Man?
our event!
It was also rewarding to watch our staff rise to the occasion. From Rachel working to spread the word on the event to Nick preparing the outdoor area to Skip, Amy L, Amy A, Ellie Brooks and Ellie Williams keeping the shop humming – it was a true team effort. Thanks ya’ll – as always you were amazing!
Lastly – the part of the community that was most needed and MOST APPRECIATED is you. The Acadiana Cares community coming together with the outdoor community of Lafayette was absolutely wonderful. It was a joy to host all of you and we look forward to seeing you out hiking, paddling or in the shop soon.
This was a great event, we enjoy supporting our local charities along with local vendors. Freetown Fries rock, La31 Beer is awesome and did a little shopping at my favorite store. P&P employees are the best!
Thanks to John and everyone at Pack and Paddle for hosting and arranging this great event. The staff at Acadiana CARES would like to thank everyone who participated in the event on behalf of the children who will be receiving gifts this Christmas. Thanks again to all who contributed, and we hope to see you at Pack and Paddle in the future.
The event was a blast – good times, good eats (and drinks), and all for a good cause. Even better, our pint glasses are already ready for next year’s event – sweet! 😉